Sweet Sixteen
by TheTranquilTornado
Summary: What will happen on a Cahill's sixteenth birthday?
1. 1: Sleeping, Screaming and Ian

**_Ok, this story is about Amy's sixteenth birthday, as you probably know. It takes place two years after the clue hunt, but before Vespers Rising. Oh, and I made up a birthday since I don't know her real one! Please read and enjoy! And if-no, _****when****_-you review, don't flame. Thanks!_**

**_DISCLAIMER TIME:_**

**Me: Starlings!**

**Sinead: Wow. No one ever needs us in their disclaimers.**

**Me: Well, I'm nice. Don't worry, you'll all have a very special place in this story. *evil laugh and scary music***

**Sinead: *gulps* Hollysta1 doesn't...**

**Ned: ... own the 39 Clues...**

**Ted: ... or anything associated with it...**

**Ned: ... thankfully. Or who knows...**

**Ted: ... what she would do with us?**

**Me: Hey! But anyways. ON WITH THE STORY!**

* * *

**Author's POV**

"Goodnight, dork."

"Goodnight, dweeb." Those nicknames never grew old.

Amy stumbled to her jade room. She collapsed on the bed. Looking at the moon contentedly, she wished hard.

_I wish that-_

* * *

**Amy's POV**

Morning sunlight pried my eyes open, just a little too forcefully. I sat up sleepily in my bed. Something felt different. What was so special about today?

Pondering this as I walked over to my mirror, I observed my eyes. They seemed... older. Older... OH MY GOSH! How could I have forgotten? It was my sixteenth birthday! FINALLY! I screamed with joy in my head. This was a milestone of life!

_Knock knock._

I closed my eyes in exasperation and sighed. He couldn't wait, could he? A sixteen year old needs _some_ privacy! Spinning on my heel to talk to him at the door, I said, "Dan, can't you wait? It's only like-" I was cut off when I saw the eyes I was looking at.

They weren't jade. Far from it. They were amber. They belonged to-

"Hello, love."

_Ian Kabra._

* * *

**_Ok, PLEASE don't get mad if this chapter is too short, I was kinda in a rush-but don't worry! My next chapter will be much longer, I promise! Anyway, please R&R! I'll update ASAP! Thanks for reading!_**


	2. 2: Dates, Cobras, and Waffles

**_Ok, here's the second chapter! Hope you like it!_**

**_DISCLAIMER TIME:_**

**Jonah: Yo, dawg! Wassup?**

**Me: Jonah, I got three words for you. Cut. It. Out.**

**Jonah: Yo, that just ain't cool, man.**

**Me: Can you just do the disclaimer already?**

**Jonah: Yo, my homie Hollysta1 here don't own the 39 clues or anything in it. And she don't own any brands here you dawgs might recognize. So peace out!**

**Me: You're not doing my disclaimers next time, buddy.**

* * *

**Amy's POV**

Inside, I was _freaking out_.

_OH MY GOSH! IAN KABRA IS IN YOUR ROOM, AMY!_

_Oh no, Amy. Not Ian. Stop thinking you like Ian._

_But it's IAN KABRA! The super hot guy!_

_Who tried to kill you. The super hot jerk. Right?_

_Oh. Yeah._

I instinctively hid behind the door. I couldn't let him see me like this! My hair looked like it'd been run through a paper shredder then stuck together again. "Wh-what do you w-want, Ian?" Darn! That stupid stutter! It hadn't come up in ages!

"Ah, I see the famous stutter has made an appearance again." He looked at me, silently laughing-I could see it in those gorgeous-no, Amy. I could see it in those eyes. Those beautiful, piercing, eyes. NO, AMY! STOP IT! CUT IT OUT!

"You don' h-have to make fun of me."

"Love, I'm not. Trust me."

"And don't call me that!"

Ian smiled apologetically. He did seem sorry...

"Amy, _love,_" He smirked. "I wanted to say happy birthday."

"Oh. Um... Thanks..." I said-though it came out more like a question.

"Would you like to have lunch someplace?" I could hear him pleading silently. He _really _wanted me to.

"S-sure, I guess."

* * *

**Ian's POV**

Once I would have called her stutter pathetic. But now, it seems cute. Sweet.

"S-sure, I guess." I couldn't believe it. I, Ian Kabra, was going to have lunch with the beautiful Amy Cahill. I thought she would decline-after all, she never seemed to like me that much. Maybe it was because she couldn't, not when I was standing right in front of her.

"Uh, sorry, I just... uh... g-gotta go." She glanced at me nervously and closed the door. Well, that was a _little _rude... But nevertheless, I had a date with Amy. I walked down the long hallway, smiling, when I was stopped by Daniel. That pesky little boy never stops pestering me.

"So, Cobra," he said, accusingly. "What have you done with my sister?"

"Daniel, what are you talking about?" I tried to continue onward, only to be blocked again.

"You did _something_. Did you poison her? Kidnap her? Force her into dating you? Oh no, please not the third one!"

"Number one, I would never poison anyone unless they were incredibly annoying, like you." Dan frowned. I smirked triumphantly. "Number two, we're all Cahills with nothing to fight for. I'm on her side-no reason to kidnap her. And number three, I did not force her into dating me. I asked her out to lunch, _and she accepted._" I said the last three words with as particularly menacing glare at Daniel.

"WHAT? NOOOOOOOO!" He yelled, clutching his hair and running in circles.

He's taking it very well, indeed.

* * *

**Dan's POV**

This _can not_ be happening-I repeat, CAN NOT! My sister, with COBRA? When there were plenty of other guys in this universe, she HAD to go and choose the COBRA! Next thing you know, they'll get married and my sister-in-law will be... Queen Cobra. The horror!

Normally, I would have run to my sister's room and screamed at her for falling for him. _Again_. Like Korea wasn't bad enough! King Cobra will probably break her heart and I'll have to comfort her. _Again_.

But today was her birthday. I could-just could-make an exception.

* * *

**Amy's POV**

Wow. I have a date with Ian Kabra. Maybe I would finally know what I felt about him. What if he changed? Could he actually be.. nice? Well he was nice. Nice enough to come to my door and say happy birthday _and _ask me out. Well, maybe he didn't mean it as date, but just as a birthday treat. That might be kinda disappointing.

I took a quick shower and dried my hair. As I opened my closet, indecision struck me. _What should I wear?_ Ian would be there, so... Picking out a jade t-shirt and black shorts, I headed out to the dining room in our manor. The other Cahills were staying over for the summer break. June 14th. I have to remember to mark that in my diary as the day Ian asked me out.

The smell of waffles with maple syrup wafted into my nose. I sighed in delight. My favorite. I could hear the murmur of quiet discussion. Cahills aren't usually so quiet. Something was going on.


	3. 3: Breakfast, Bdays and Blushing

**_Here's the 3rd chapter guys! Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I was at a friend's house for the whole day but I hope you enjoy! And I fixed the mistakes in the previous two chapters! YAY! Don't forget to R&R with ideas, questions and corrections!_**

**_DISCLAIMER TIME:_**

**Me: Oh. Hi Dan.**

**Dan: I KNOW YOU! You're the weird author who makes us do your disclaimers! You may have got them, but you will never get me!**

**Me: Okay. I guess I'll just have to get you to kiss Natalie then... Sigh.**

**Dan: NOOOO! Please! I'll do anything! Just don't make me kiss Cobra!**

**Me: You'll do my disclaimer?**

**Dan: *sighs* Yeah, sure. Hollysta1 doesn't own anything in this story except the plot. I hope.**

**_ON WITH THE STORY!_  
**

* * *

**Sinead's POV**

"So, I have to prep the gear. You'll be on top of the situation, giving directions, and Ted will be the lookout." Ned whispered in my ear. I nodded. We had _big_ plans today-and the Starlings couldn't wait to pull it off. Everyone was nervous, since there were _lots_ of things that could go wrong. Suddenly we heard footsteps. I made my fingers look like they were walking, our secret signal for 'act normal'.

Ian stumbled in, sort of, looking a little flustered and hurried. He probably couldn't decide what to wear for his precious Amy. Ian was lovesick. Anyone-even Eisenhower Holt-could see that. But the footsteps were still there. It was Amy! I did the signal urgently, moving my fingers as fast as possible without drawing Ian's attention. No one looked until the last second. _Act normal, act normal!_ I thought desperately._  
_

Unfortunately, we weren't so good at that.

**Amy's POV**

As soon as I entered the dining room, the talking increased abnormally. Something was definitely up. Walking uncertainly towards my seat, I heard snippets of the conversations.

"...door frames were particularly lovely..." Natalie said to-_Hamilton_?

"...like to play racquetball..." Dan was saying to Madison. As far as I knew, the only kind of game Dan liked to play were video games. And occasionally football.

"I think Nellie's waffles will rock!" At least Reagan and Ned were acting somewhat normal...

Sinead and Ted seemed a bit uncomfortable when I passed them. I felt hurt. Had I done something?

Strange conversations that burst out of nowhere. Huh. Maybe they were talking about me...

As I sat down, tons of happy birthday greetings were hurled at me like bowling balls. My ears were overwhelmed.

"Guys! Easy, one at at time," I said, feeling somewhat crowded.

"Oh! I know! I know! I have an idea! PLEASE!" Dan was literally jumping up and down on his plush velvet seat.

"Go ahead," I sighed.

"Okay, so we each take it in turns to say happy birthday and what we like about Amy. We'll start with... ME! Duh." He cleared his throat, in his get-ready-for-the-ninja-speech-of-awesomeness way. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY! So, I like that... you are helpful. Like, way helpful. Scary helpful. And that you trust me so much that we can talk to each other without speaking."

I was really touched. I had to put my arm behind my back to stop myself from hugging him. "Is that it?" I joked teasingly.

"Well, there is more, but if I continued, the rest of them wouldn't get a turn." He sat down and gestured at the person next to him.

"So, happy birthday Ames!" Hamilton said. "I hear you're sixteen. Awesome. Anyway, I like that you're super kind and caring. You know, you're kinda like a little sister to me."

"Thanks, Hamilton." Gosh, I'm going to end up crying by the end.

Jonah stood on his chair. "Yo, Amester, my homie, happy b-day, dawg. I love how you don't care 'bout my gangsta talk unlike _some people,_" he said, glaring at the Kabras. They only sat up straighter.

"That's really nice, Jonah," I said, sniffling slightly.

"Well, there's not much to say about peasants, really, but I do appreciate that you let me be your personal stylist!" Natalie exclaimed proudly. Next to her, the Holts snickered. Natalie whipped her head around and gave them a death glare. They shut up.

Phoenix, who was next to her, shyly said, "Happy birthday Amy. I like that you're really nice to everybody and you accept them for who they are."

"Wow, thanks buddy." He beaned happily. Phoenix was really sweet.

"Finally! Our turn! So-HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY! We like that you're a great judge-" Madison began.

"As in you can stop people from doing the wrong thing and help them do the right thing." Reagan finished.

"S'pose it comes with being a Madrigal." I muttered to myself. "Thanks guys.

"We Starlings..." Ned started.

"...would like to wish you..." Sinead continued.

"...a happy birthday! We love how..." Ted said.

"...you never mind being part of our experiments..."

"...and you forgive us when things go wrong." Ned finished.

"Well, I haven't _quite _forgiven you for the time you set my hair on fire..."

"Um... you _eventually_ forgive us."

I laughed. This was turning out to be a great birthday.

And then I saw who was left.

"Brother dear, we believe it's your turn?" Natalie inquired not-so-innocently.

"Uh..." Oh no. Was the great Ian Kabra actually lost for words? "I hope you have a good birthday. I, um, like that you are very, um, kind to anyone and, uh, everyone." He looked down, as if he was unsure. Maybe the date was just a dare or something. There's no way he liked me anymore. He mumbled something else.

"What did you say, Ian?" I asked.

"I said you are very beautiful as well." he said, blushing pink.

I'm sure I blushed a deep rosy color, if the laughs and giggles area anything to go on.

"And... BREAKFAST IS SERVED!" Nellie exclaimed, brandishing a dozen dishes of her super special waffles. "Happy birthday, Amy." She said, squishing me in a bear hug.

"I- think- that's- enough- Nellie." I gasped. She let go, apologizing. When I looked down at my dish, my heart stopped.

There were heart-shaped waffles with strawberries for eyes, blueberries for the smile and zucchini curls for the hair. Just like Mom's and Grace's.

"Oh my gosh, Nellie. They're wonderful." I said, sobbing gently. So many good memories came back. I smiled so much I thought my face would split. So far, so good.

* * *

**Ian's POV**

I had made such a fool of myself. That must have been the worst birthday speech ever. Even the Holts must have done better than me. I kept going 'uh' and 'um' and then I blew it all by saying she's beautiful. And mumbling it! There were a million wonderful things to say, like her great modesty or something. I could have said it properly, and won her over, even if it was only slightly. Now she probably thinks I only asked her out for her looks. What is wrong with me?

"I have never been more ashamed to be related to you. What did you think you were doing?" Natalie hissed at me from across the table. "You had an opportunity! You let it get away!" I lowered my head shamefully. I just hoped I could get through breakfast without humiliating myself again.

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**_So? Did you like it? If so, review! If not... review and tell me why not! I think it might have dragged on a little... *insert TheTranquilTornado's cute apologetic smile here* PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks, awesome readers!_**


	4. 4: Presents, Necklaces and Holograms

_**GUYS! I'm soooooooo x 1,000,000,000,000 sorry for not updating! I abandoned you guys for like two weeks, and I TOTALLY regret that! But now... The moment you've all been waiting for... CHAPTER 4! Go ahead! Read, and ENJOY!**_

_**DISCLAIMER TIME:**_

**Me: Amy, come here.**

**Amy: What do you w-want, Tranquil****?**

**Me: I thought you lost the stutter.**

**Amy: You know you are k-kinda c-creepy.**

**Me: Anyways... will you do my disclaimer?**

**Amy: Okay... TheTranquilTornado doesn't own the 39 Clues or anything associated with it.**

**Me: Huh. That was pretty easy. I thought I would have to say that I would burn your limited edition copy of ****_The Secret Garden_****.**

**Amy: NO! DON'T TOUCH IT! PLEASE!**

* * *

**Natalie's POV**

After breakfast (which wasn't as peasant-like as I thought it would be- but it still didn't live up to my standards of sophistication), the girls headed up to our girls' suite, built especially for these reunions-and _entirely_ Fiske's idea. When we got there, Amy had already made herself comfortable on the turquoise velvet chaise lounge by the window, curled up with the original edition of _The Secret Garden_.

"Amy!" I yelled. "No matter how much of a peasant you are, I simply _can't_ let you spend your birthday in this room, reading a book!" I exclaimed, dramatically. She looked at me, puzzled. For such a smart person, she can be terribly slow. "It's just awful! Come, let's open your presents." Before she could respond, the Holt twins had picked her up and were lifting her over to her room, where a tempting pile of presents lay. I squealed, before clamping my hand over my mouth. Squealing was FLO. i regained my composure.

"Well?" I said, expectantly. "Go on, open them."

* * *

**Amy's POV**

I reached for the first present, gingerly. I never usually received presents. I'd never really done anything special on my birthday. With Aunt Beatrice, there'd been nothing. No presents, no cake, no fun. Grace had never spoiled us that much either, although she had the heart to give me her undivided attention and a small gift.

The wrapper felt smooth in my hand. It was sleek and silver, with small stars dotted randomly. Not the ninja kind. Fingering the opening, I peeled it up, revealing... A... Kindle? Well, it looked like a Kindle. Except thinner and seemingly more hi-tech. "Nice gift, Sinead." I pressed the power button, and the screen flashed, revealing a colorful menu. Some of the options included Books, Games, Homework Organizer, and Tracker (in brackets it said Stalker)... "This is awesome! I can, like, totally use this for school!" I reached over to give Sinead a hug. She totally knew me.

Next on the pile was a round green package, messily wrapped. Probably from the Holts. As I ripped it apart, breaking through all the tape, I saw an apple green ball with dark green lines.

"It's a personal trainer, directly from the Tomas stronghold." Madison explained.

"All you have to do is practice, and it helps you. We Holts..." Reagan continued.

"...thought it would be good since you..." Madison said.

"..._really_ need to work on your fitness. No offence." Reagan added.

"Well, thanks guys. This is really helpful." I smiled. Never expect normal presents from a Cahill.

The third package was gold with a silver ribbon. It felt soft, like clothes. "Wow, Natalie. I never knew you gave other people presents!" I teased.

"I think Daniel is a bad influence on you."

When I opened it, I saw the most gorgeous designer outfit. A jade green sleeveless silk t-shirt with diamond-studded jeans and a denim jacket. There was even a Gucci purse! "Natalie, was this custom-made?"

"Obviously. I _need _to improve your sense of fashion!"

"Uh. Okay. Thanks! It's great." Just perfect for my 'date' with Ian.

**Hamilton's POV**

"Are you _sure _she'll like it?" Ian asked, nervously. We'd gotten together to get Amy a present, but Ian wanted perfection. No wait-_more _than perfection. We had exchanged, refunded, re-exchanged, refunded again hundreds of times because Ian always had _some _kind of complaint. He was almost worse than Natalie.

"Yes, Cobra. She will like it. Probably." Dan said, exasperatedly.

"_Probably_?!" he yelled.

"A 94% chance she'll like it." Ned said.

"But it has to be a 100% chance she'll LOVE it!" he yelled. It wasn't going to be much of a surprise if they could hear it in their suite!

"You asked if she'll _like_ it. Not _love_ it." Ted argued.

Ian threw his arms up on the air. "I give up! You are NOT HELPING! I'll sue!" He paced the room in circles yelling random names of people he would sue, and running his hands through his hair anxiously.

"Dude. Chill." I said, putting my hands on his shoulders, stopping him dead in his tracks. "It's just a gift. She'll like it."

* * *

**Ian's POV**

"Really?" I asked, looking up at Hamilton.

He nodded. "You need to stop being so lovesick, Ian." How can I not be? I feel so guilty about betraying her and hurting her and I desperately want to make it up to her. She deserves it.

I sighed and took the blue velvet box. We went over to the room, and I knocked twice on the white door. "Come in!" came Amy's voice.

Opening the door with slightly trembling hands, I walked in. "We- me, Hamilton, Ned, Ted, Jonah and Dan- have got a gift for you." Amy looked up from her present- an Arctic Monkeys CD. Definitely from Nellie.

I held the box out towards her. For a brief moment, our hands touched. She looked up at me, slightly startled, and pulled the box away. Opening it slowly, I waited for the reaction.

"Oh my gosh," she gasped. "It's amazing!" She held up the silver raindrop shaped pendant up to the light. A sparkling jade colored stone filled its center, while 'Amy' was written on top in silver letters, studded with diamonds. Natalie squealed.

"Omigosh Amy! It goes perfectly with my present! YAY!" I covered my ears. Natalie should be used as ultrasound. At least her screaming would be productive rather than harmful.

"Thank you so much," she said, beaming.

"Let me put it on." I offered. She blushed.

"I want to put it on for her! Besides, I have to show her the best part!" Dan said. Standing slightly on his toes, he reached up and did the clasp. "If you press on the diamond on the A, a holographic keyboard will come up. You can send a message to me! Or, you could just send your location, or-"

"Dan!" She laughed. "Overprotective, much?" She hugged him, giggling as Dan squirmed.

"Amy..." When she finally let him go, he showed her the shuriken chain he wore around his neck. "I can send you a message too!"

"You guys are amazing."

"It's about time someone noticed." Hamilton said, proudly.

In a blur, we were all enveloped in a bear hug-all the Cahills together. I was pleasantly surprised. We'd have only a few moments like these.

* * *

_**So... yeah. There was your chapter. I'm really sorry I didn't update earlier. I had a severe case of writer's block, and everything I tried to write didn't make sense. On top of that, our internection (my word for internet connection) has been really shaky, so I haven't been able to go on. I'm so sorry. **_

_**You know the drill. R&R! :D**_

_**-TheTranquilTornado**_


	5. 5: Skyfall, Sunglasses and Ribbons

**_Hey! I'm baaaaaack! :D I know it's been a while, but I finally got my story back in control! Now, speech time! Don't worry, it'll be short and sweet :)_**

**_DISCLAIMER SPEECH:_**

**_Me: Ahem. Good morning/night/afternoon everybody. I'm glad that you have all read my story, and I would like to thank you for your support. I'd like to also thank my mom, my dad, my puppy, my stylist, my computer and-_**

**_Dan: Dan Cahill, obviously!_**

**_Me: Oh, Dan! You see, I obviously don't own the 39 Clues otherwise that wouldn't have happened and MY LIFE WOULDN'T BE A DISASTER! (walks off stage crying)_**

**_Dan: She didn't let me do the disclaimer! Meanie._**

* * *

**Amy's POV**

I savored the hug for a few more moments. There really was nothing better than a family moment on your birthday. Suddenly, a loud, clear clang cut through the joy of the moment. It seemed to block out the sunlight, drown out the laughter- just like those Dementors in Harry Potter. The clock struck twelve. That meant it was time for lunch. But not just any lunch. Lunch with Ian Kabra.

An arm lay itself on my shoulders. "It's twelve, love. Shall we go?" He smiled, and for a second, it was actually genuine. And then it twisted mockingly into a smirk.

"Quit it with the smirk," I snapped, "and maybe we'll go." He raised his hands in mock surrender. Why was he such a jerk?

"Bye, newly-weds! Enjoy your honeymoon!" sniggered Dan, inciting laughter from the rest. I could feel the blood racing to my cheeks; I'm sure they were redder than tomatoes. Ian seemed to be lapping it all up, though. Did he like this? He couldn't have. But I let the thought wander aimlessly in my mind, and headed downstairs in my birthday outfit, the green fabric sparkling like stars in the light.

Nellie caught me just before my feet hit the carpet and whispered urgently in my ear.

"Go to the backyard, and you'll see a man with a red hat and sunglasses, holding a newspaper. Tell him Nellie likes pie. And wait there." She winked before turning back into the cupboard under the stairs. What kind of cryptic puzzle had she set out for me? Why did it involve a man with red sunglasses and a hat? And what on earth was with Nellie liking pie? Pass-phrases, sunglasses, and newspapers... It sounded like something out of a James Bond movie.

"James Bond is British, love," chuckled Ian quietly. I leaped back like a startled mouse and stared with confusion into his eyes.

"What the- b-but... but... how did you know what I was thinking?"

"You're looking at a poster for 'Skyfall'. It's easy to guess." He had always tried to find a perfect opportunity to prove that England was better than America. He had failed on several occasions, seeing as most of us are with America. CURSE YOU SKYFALL. I shook my head and brushed the question away, walking towards the back door.

"Love? The door is this way!" I could hear Ian's echoing call in the distance.

"Hang on! Nellie told me to go this way."

* * *

**Ian's POV**

AAAGH. Why did Nellie always have to complicate the plan? Next she'll say that she's making lunch! This really was my perfect opportunity. I waited impatiently by the door, tapping my 'sneakers' impatiently. The other Cahills had insisted that I wear 'normal clothes', but what is normal about baggy t-shirts, jeans that sag and shoes with flashy colors like orange? they clearly have no sense of style. But knowing that Amy might appreciate it made this all worth the horror. My fingers tugged at the collar of my green polo anxiously. Finally, I decide to follow her out.

She'd already made it outside, and I could see her standing in the yard. I walked as fast as possible towards her, careful not to let my feet make a sound on the wooden floor. Just as I was in her shadow, she started moving again, and I lunged forward as discreetly as possible to keep up. Lunging in jeans is extremely uncomfortable- I would have loved to be wearing my custom-fitted Armani trousers. I stood stiller than a statue behind her as she whispered in a mysterious man's ear. The man was wearing garish red sunglasses and a had, dressed in a beige coat which _so _did NOT complement his neon green shoes. HIs style was worse than the Cahills! And that's an achievement. He nodded and walked briskly away, leaving Amy looking slightly perplexed. She's adorable when she's confused.

VROOM! A red Ferrari pulled into the driveway, flashing in the sunlight, blinding me. It was wrapped in a shimmering violet ribbon, which was printed with the message:

_~HaPpY SwEeT SiXtEeN~_

"Oh. My. GOSH!" squealed Amy, unable to hold in her excitement. She let it loose, and twirled and sang and screamed all around her new car. I was happy for her, but this meant she would be driving. How unfair. If I had been driving it would have been so romantic... She turned and saw me, but didn't react how I expected. She ran over and hugged me hard. I stumbled for a second, but then smiled and returned it. Like. A. Boss.

"This is so awesome! Come on, Ian!" She pulled me over enthusiastically to the car, and I opened the door for her. She giggled and jumped in without hesitation. I stepped in after her, laughing at her sheer excitement. Looking at the buttons on the dashboard, I picked up that it was a convertible. My fingers slithered over to the buttons while Amy still got to grips with the wheel. The black roof drew back silently, and music began to play.

"Wow," she gasped, breathless with joy. "Let's go! Where to, Kabra? It is your invite after all." She smiled. It was like the car had added more energy and excitement to her, but it was starting to worry me. Was she going crazy?

"Chili's?" I offered nonchalantly. It was a place I knew she liked, and if she was happy, I was happy.

"Sure! Let's go. Guide me?"

"Have you got your license?"

"You kidding? I've been carrying it with me ever since I got it, just in case we got a car."

"Alright then... Just drive ahead and take a right to start with..." Her glossy auburn hair was flying in the wind. She looked so natural, so happy, so confident. This Amy seemed so positive, it was like nothing could possibly go wrong.

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_**Like, dislike, everything in between? Tell me what you thought! See ya :)**_

_**-TripleT**_


	6. 6: Tablecloths, Poison and Laughing

**_Hey people! I'm back again! I hope you guys like this chapter :) It's probably a little OOC at times, but I seriously can't help it, it's SO tempting! XD Don't forget to review!_  
**

**_DISCLAIMER:_**

**_Ian: On behalf of TheTranquilTornado, I would like to announce that-_**

**_Dan (singing): She so does not own the 39 Clues! YEAH!_**

**_Ian: *facepalm* SECURITY! Get this git off stage immediately!_**

* * *

**Ian's POV**

A few wrong turns, near deaths and a wild thirty minutes later, Amy and I pulled up in front of Chili's. You would struggle to count the number of times I had to fight the urge to pull Amy's hands away from the wheel and drive myself. Not just because it would have seemed cool, but for our own safety! For someone I thought was calm and sensible, she sure couldn't drive as good as I would expect. Never mind. It _was _her first time, after all...

"We made it and we're not dead!" Amy gasped, laughing. She threw her head back and took long, deep breaths. I laughed at her. "What?" she asked, annoyed.

"Nothing, nothing," I shook my head, chuckling quietly. I could tell she didn't like it.

"Come on then. It is _your _invitation." she smirked. Wow. One Ferrari clearly made a LOT of difference. No one smirks at the Kabras! _We're_ meant to do the smirking! I got out of the car and slammed the door, much to her amusement. She got out too, and we headed up the stone steps. We could see dim lights and the sound of country music rang through the air. My fingers found hers and held onto them. Amy looked at me, slightly shocked, and slowly pulled them away. Better than before, at least.

A little clunk interrupted my thoughts, and I saw a blue-grey Chevy park next to the Ferrari. It was a very unfair comparison- Chevy to Ferrari. I wondered which moron had the nerve to even allow a Chevy near a Ferrari! Those clunky, snail-like cars could easily damage Amy's new car. It looked familiar though...

"Earth to Ian. Ian to Earth. Amy to Ian!" I snapped back my head and saw Amy laughing. I gave a friendly shove on the shoulder, and she nearly pushed me over.

Good times.

* * *

**Ned's POV**

It had been an unusually difficult task, even for us. No amount of preparation could've prepared us for what we had to do. Following Amy is harder than the Clue Hunt.

It was easy enough getting out. Nellie was too busy making a special dessert, and Fiske was out anyways. That just left the rest of us. SO we sneaked out in Nellie's Chevy, but we had to make sure it came back unscathed. Getting the Holts in had been a bit of a tight fit, but we managed it eventually. Sinead had made sure all our gear had been packed up safely, and was sitting in the driver's seat. Of course, there'd been some unplanned delay, yet we worked around that using Ted's SemiTurboEngine. We broke all the speed limits, and managed to catch up with the 'couple'. We witnessed Amy's pretty awful driving, and all of us were laughing crazily by the end of it, despite knowing that she could have killed us like that. But knowing something could kill you really isn't much when you've been nearly killed all your life. Hint: The Clue Hunt.

We parked a few seconds after they had, to avoid suspicion. We saw them walk up the steps, saw Ian hold Amy's hand (at which Dan gagged uncontrollably) and saw Amy shove Ian (at which Dan cheered).

"We all good?" Sinead turned around. People nodded lazily, traumatized by their experience. "Don't die on us now! We need to get the stuff out and get in the vents." There was a chorus of groans. I couldn't believe that all these people had been so enthusiastic about this only a few hours ago, and now they seemed like zombies!

Hamilton was the first to move. He hauled all the sound equipment out, not as discreetly as we wanted, but it was better than nothing. I threw the invisibility cover over it just in time. He walked out, looking a little weird, but I think he caught on soon enough. He waved when he was about three feet from our ladder, which meant the coast was clear and we could go.

"Operation Date Watch is go."

* * *

**Amy's POV**

Driving in a Ferrari is an exhilarating experience and not for the faint of heart. I thought driving was easy, especially since I had my license and all, but when it's actually your own car it's really freaky! Ian was trying his best not to scream. Having him there only added to the pressure. I could tell he was freaking out like me. But I think I wanted to impress him... which I so did not! His hands were gripping the seat so tight I thought he would rip the leather off! But we'd arrived, and that's all that mattered.

Suddenly a shadow dashed past. I could have sworn it was Hamilton. It was tall, and looked muscular... But it was nothing. Ian looked at me, a tinge of concern in his eyes.

"It was nothing. Let's just go." I smiled reassuringly.

As soon as we entered, we were greeted by a smiling waitress, but her smile seemed a little too big for someone who had to wait on people every single day for hours. She had her sleek black hair pinned back neatly, her shirt tucked in perfectly, her skirt perfectly pleated.

"Table for two?" she inquired politely. I noticed her name card, which read 'Natalie'. Strange coincidence... But this waitress was nothing like our Natalie. I mean, what kind of Natalie wouldn't wear mountains of lipstick and eyeliner while she had the chance outside the house?

"Somewhere quiet, please." I saw Ian's hand slipping a twenty dollar note into her hands. She smiled, barely looking down, and led us to a secluded corner of the restaurant.

I sat down, sinking deep into the maroon leather seats. Ian sat opposite me. It took me a while to notice the candles and roses, and the floral tablecloth that adorned our table alone. I glanced around nervously, seeing if anyone else was suffering the same fate. But no! Here we were, Ian and I, standing out like a light in a darkroom. It was so embarrassing! Yet Ian seemed to be reveling in my discomfort.

"Embrace it, love."

"Embrace what? The table?" I hissed back. A small chuckle escaped his mouth. But it hadn't opened... So it was someone else! I looked arounds, and spotted a trio, laughing at us. Two girls and a guy. They only looked about thirteen. The nerve!

* * *

**Dan's POV**

When we first broke it to Natalie that she would have to be a smiling waitress, she had thrown a tantrum like none we had ever seen before.

_"Why does it always have to be ME who dresses up like a peasant?! I'm not a *insert long chain of swear words here* peasant girl! I am Natalie Kabra, and I have my dignity to preserve! Who do you think you are, Daniel Arthur Cahill, to tell me that I must be a WAITRESS?"_

_"But Nat-"_

_"Don't call me Nat! You know I hate it! Anyone with even a spark of intelligence would have the sense to call me by my right and proper name, which is Natalie!"_

_"Hey, Co-"_

_"And don't you even DARE call me Cobra, you ******* git! You have no right to do so!"_

_"Natalie."_

_"Well? Hurry up and spit it out!"_

_"I'm not chewing anything..."_

_"OH YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"_

_"Sorry, sorry. Nat,"_

_"DAN..."_

_"Anyways, we're choosing you to be the waitress because you're the best with disguises and you get to knock out another waitress? Please don't kill me!"_

_"Hmph. Fine then. But this has happened too many times!"_

_"But we've never asked you to pretend to be a peasant..."_

_"SHUT UP YOU GIT!"_

_"Sorry, sorry..."_

_"Sorry doesn't cut it!"_

_"Okay, okay, fine. I'm going to back away slowly, and leave you in peace. Okay?_

_"Good."_

_"And by the way, I have three names- sophisticated ones, might I add- plus a million dollars to my name and awesome ninja skills. I don't think_ _you have the right to call me a peasant."_

_"Oh, just shut up before I find poison number 42. You know what that does."_

She ended up enjoying what she- creepily- called 'knockout time', and playing dress up and experimenting freely with her makeup again. Amy had banned makeup in the mansion except on special occasions, but for Natalie she did allow a tiny bit of lipstick, blush and eyeliner. She said something about 'natural beauty' and other girly rubbish that only Amy could rant about. Natalie did look nice without any makeup... NO! DAN! SHUT UP! AAAGH! I mentally slapped myself. Idiot!

Madison, Reagan and I were sitting at a table across from Amy and Ian. It was disgusting. Nat had put on all kinds of icky lovey-dovey decorations. I was terrified that any moment now, Ian would lean over and hold her hands and do... a mind meld. Even the thought of it is traumatizing. Reagan had buried her face in the menu, laughing so hard she was attracting a little too much attention. Madison had stuck her fist in her mouth (I wonder how she did that, considering the size of her fist) to stop herself from laughing, but she was anything but discreet. I felt like throwing up all over their table. I couldn't warn Amy silently either, otherwise she would know I was there and I would be in big trouble. The temptation was huge. As much as I hated it, they were still hilarious to watch!

Let the excruciating but at the same time hilarious two or more hours of Amy and Ian's date begin.

* * *

_**And that's another chapter done! I'm super excited about the next chapter, because it's the 7th one and 7 is my lucky number! Don't forget to click that review button down there. I know you can see it... Don't lie to me! But make sure you actually type something before you **_**_click it or I'll be sad when I find that someone decided to tease me by sending a blank review. You wouldn't want to waste so much space?_**

**_For any of you reading my other story, _Special Needs_, it may be a little while before the next chapter comes up again. Sorry!_**

**_See y'all on the next chapter :)_**

**_~TheTranquilTornado_**


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